The Holy Hieronymus, St. Jerome

myminifactory

Andrea Bregno crafts a stunning marble work titled 'The Holy Hieronymus', showcasing his exceptional skill as an artist. The Holy Hieronymus, also known as St Jerome, was a renowned Latin Catholic priest, confessor, theologian, and historian who made history by translating most of the Bible into Latin - the translation that became the iconic Vulgate. His commentaries on the Gospels remain highly regarded to this day. The high-relief sculpture boasts a style eerily reminiscent of another masterpiece in The SMK's collection, 'John the Baptist' (DEP35). A nearly identical version of 'The Holy Hieronymus' by Bregno can be found at The Tabernacle of Alexander VI in Rome's S. Maria del Popolo (1473), while a virtually identical relief of John the Baptist adorns the Piccolomini altar in the Cathedral of Siena (1481-85). According to the auction catalogue, this work and DEP35 were originally part of a tombstone. G. Carlo Sciolla notes in Arte Lombarda that these pieces are connected to Cardinal da Cusa's tomb in Rome's S. Pietro in Vincoli, which marks Bregno's earliest known work in Rome.